Admittedly, it hasn’t been all that busy when I have been there, but I’ve been to GT on three occasions since the new cafe opened: There hasn’t been one single customer in the cafe on any of the times I’ve gone by. I wonder how the business plan is shaping up?

I was in on Sunday for a coffee and waiting for the rain to subside. I liked it – a lot. Spacious, clean and even the outside seating is under cover.

I agree it looks very smart….there just didn’t seem to be anyone in it while the Hub still had punters.

imo because you are looking at a wooden wall when you ride up/down the trail it is not obvious that it is open. I never noticed that the bike shop had opened due to poor observation..there was a sign but it too was obscured and blended into all the other guff lying around at the entrance after the roundabout. Trying to avoid cars and other cyclist had distracted me at the time. After changing and coffee at the Hub(last ever cup btw)I went for a wander out of interest and found it was open.

Probably will not be back there in the foreseeable future so wishing Emma & Tracy all the best in whatever they do next.

imnotverygood – Member
I agree it looks very smart….there just didn’t seem to be anyone in it while the Hub still had punters

imo the new peel has missed a trick in that there are no decent views from the cafe. Nothing better on a nice day sitting at the Hub with a Panini, coffee and cake whilst watching the world go by and taking in the stunning scenery. This has also been discussed on the new CIC Facebook page, not what was expected I don`t think 😳

Trekster, got a link for the CIC Facebook page?

I can find plenty for 7 stanes, but none that stand out as being for the CIC…

Trekster – Member
Nothing better on a nice day sitting at the Hub with a Panini, coffee and cake whilst watching the world go by and taking in the stunning scenery

When did they move the Hub away from the A72?

lol – true the Hub’s views are nothing special. Trekster is right though that the new centre really has no views at all being built in a dip. I was there with the bairn recently and thought it was nice, but the chosen location was a bit puzzling. Only other customers were all walkers – seems true that the Teds are staying loyal to the Hub.

The wildlife place adjacent is good if anyone is ever there with their kids.

i went in and the coffee was good and the toilets were spotless overall a pretty nice place i thought. The time before i was there i went to the Hub and the tables were filthy and the toilets were flooded and reaked of piss! I thought the new center kind of brings a modern look on the G.T. site.

We were at Glentress last week for our anniversary. The Hub has better cake, is cheaper and has a better atmosphere – also love sitting outside with all of the little birdies hopping around scavaging for crumbs.

The Glentress Peel has more seating and a wider choice in hot food. Looks a bit like a hospital waiting room though, was pretty much empty when we were there too. :/

mc – Member
Trekster, got a link for the CIC Facebook page?

I can find plenty for 7 stanes, but none that stand out as being for the CIC…
Hit the facebook button at the top of page. Melissa Gun is the project co-ordinator.
http://www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/Home
I think if you read the Peel centre post she does ask if anyone knows what CIC is about ❓
http://7stanes.blogspot.com/

I was there a couple of weeks ago during the biblical floods and thought the new cafe was great . I also went to Alpine bikes and got great advise from Jake at Alpine Bikes on how to fix my pop loc myself and how the new bikeshop wasn’t a main bike shop but would make money from small repairs , rental and subsiduries leaving Alpine and Icycles as the closest proper bike shops.
I haven’t been biking long enough to be romanticaly drawn to the hub which I always found to be overpriced anyway but at the end of the day the FC asked for quotes and Alpine and the proprieters of the Glentress hotel won. That said Emma and Tracy have done a great job over the years and Its a shame they cant stay open along side the new Cafe but in the depths of winter theres no way Its sustainable.

When I’m sweaty and filthy after a ride, the last place I want to sit to eat cake is somewhere spotlessly clean. I’d much rather have something a bit more rustic… Plus, the cake at the Hub was really, really good.

We have just come back from a long weekend at Glentress and have been interested by all the recent developments. We have always liked stopping at the hub for post bike food but as we have also stayed at the Glentress hotelin the past would keep an open mind.

I must say I was really disappointed with the placement of the Peel Centre. I appreciate everyone is allowed their own views and appreciate there are mixed feelings on the Hub. I personally have been fortunate to be at GT when the weather has been lovely and agree with Trekster and Mrs Toast re the atmosphere and view. I appreciate that better views can be had at other places and I don’t actually notice the A72 but the Peel centre cafe looks out onto a wall of soil and there was a smell of stagnant water from the nearby pond. I do think it would have helped both the cafe and bike shop if they had been in the building at the top of the car park. Before the weekend I was keeping an open mind but for me I will miss the hub and it’s macaroni cheese and will make sure we have GT weekend before the final closure.

On the first day we boycotted the peel and went to the hub for coffee and cake
On the second day wanted a shower, so tried the peel centre
Must say was a better experience, cleaner,coffee was good, cake not up to hub standards but the other hot food looked good
Toilets and showers at peel were immaculate and cheap
It pains me to say it, but I think the new facilities are excellent
Shame the hub didn’t put a good enough bid together

It’s never been busy when I’ve been in there, but they’ve been doing a moderate trade. Partly it feels less busy because the roof-space is so much bigger. Prices seem pretty comparable. Staff are friendly and accomodating of indecisive knackered mountain bikers. No baked spuds though.

And they have tablet icecream. And I’ll be honest, I’d eat in Pol Pot’s House o’ Human Ribs if he served tablet icecream.

The food etc isn’t much better or worse than the old one but the facilities make the portakabin look as bad as, well, as bad as it is. Sentimentality’ll only go so far, I wonder how many of the “loyalists” will stay at the Hub when it rains

And yep, it’s weird that it’s built in a hole. Not that it’d have a great view, but it has nothing. Parking strangely far from the cafe etc. Some odd decisions.

I’ve been lucky in the last few weeks and got down to GT a good few times. I try and park and frequent the Hub while I have a choice.

On the times that the queue has been too long in the Hub I’ve gone to the Peel. I do feel “gritty” going into the peel – all tiles and helful staff and all. But it is nice. Also the Venison burger is NICE! Not too sure about the purple coleslaw – but still…

2 words of warning.
1- Oversteer: After rain – the wooden bridge into the car park is driftastic in a rwd car. Also given the steep hill there is no way when the snow comes that we will be able to park in the Peel car park.
2- The wooden boards outside the cafe make for a seriously embarassing dismount when damp. All the more embarassing after a few hours round the black and red without incident when you splat yourself on the cafe forecourt!

Both lessons learnt from personal experience!

Peel placement / location borne out of ‘the need’ to buy out adjacent landowners to give FCS exclusivity on the site. Purchasing Jufrake House at £££huge then building further up the hill just wouldn’t have been politic. Even for FCS…

Whether it’s now in the publics best interest for them to be buying up huge swathes of land between GT and Innerleithen is debatable.

From speaking to the people down there I’m pretty sure they’re prepared for a very difficult first few months until the Hub closes. Would be daft to think everyone would flock straight there so I suspect they’re biding their time, trying to get it as good as possible and waiting until they get all the trade down there.

I like the new facilities and was perfectly happy with the new cafe. Wasn’t a queue either so it was lightning quick on a busy day.

A few of us were there a month ago and we went to both. The new place is far better than the hub imo. The staff are friendly, food is very good and the facilities are miles better plus they have free wifi.

no decent views from the cafe

+1 I think the biggest mistake is that the outdoor seating area is completely shaded. Yes – great that is is under cover but why tuck it behind the building in the shade beside the midge breeding pools? Last weekend the atmosphere at the hub was great – loads of families outside in the sun. New cafe – not a soul.

Last weekend the atmosphere at the hub was great – loads of families outside in the sun. New cafe – not a soul.

Yeah, noticed that late Sunday afternoon (just passing, had already had a nice BBQ at inners)

Is the standard of jailbait as high at the new joint?

Instead of sitting in a cafe crying about not having a view how about hopping on your bike and cycling to the top of the hill.

You may just find a better view from there.

It all looks very nice, however, i’m a kill joy and tend to take my own sarnies and coffee anywhere i travel to ride.

The question shouldn’t be is the new 9 trillion buck facility better than the hub, the question was and still is, would the hub have done a better job ❓

No one dissagree’s about new facilities being needed at GT, the real question in my opinion is, have the FCS invested this money wisely ❓

For me the answer is NO!

The peel would have still been the same regardless of who won the tender, the tender process was to find a tennant.

No one dissagree’s about new facilities being needed at GT

I would.

cycling to the top of the hill.

Always do that bit first – cafe after.

But remember that cafe not just for the hardcore “who needs a cafe” crowd – frequently Mrs DB and daughter potter about/ride the green/walk the dog then chill in the cafe while I ride. They tend to spend more time using the facilities than I do (and at the weekend there seems to be many families in the same boat – I bet the cafe takes a large percentage of its dosh from non-cyclists at the weekends), and they reflected the general view above which seems to be “new facilities are great – cafe is in a crap spot – old one is (currently) much more popular and has a better atmosphere”.

I’d eat in Pol Pot’s House o’ Human Ribs if he served

at least hub food has some taste

Is the standard of jailbait as high at the new joint?

you mean the female children working in the cafe I assume?

IMO no new facilities were needed, but I avoid the place at peak times.

TT – yes – they are excellent waitresses.

I was surprised to discover which of the new buildings was going to house the cafe. One of the ones further up would have seemed a better place for it to me. On the other hand I like the food and the service has been good when I’ve used it. The atmosphere will improve if/once more people start using it.

Someone was telling me that the new cafe is doing much better trade on days with poor weather than on nice days. I’m not surprised, given there’s no unshaded outdoor seating and the building is generally sheltered. Being able to sit outside on a nice day is certainly an advantage of the Hub but on a wet day how many people will decide that sitting inside a portakabin watching condensation drip down the walls is as appealing?

I’ll probably go so the new place tomorrow. I’ll be going because i fancy a change something the hubs menu hasn’t done for a long time. and it’ll make a nice change to have some elbow room. I’ll enjoy the views when I’m out and about and hopefully enjoy the food when I’m in the cafe. and if good I’ll go back.

TT – yes – they are excellent waitresses.

Particularly the blonde one!

I wont use the Peel centre full stop.
I feel the FC are making dreadful decisions with reagard MTBing at the moment following 10 years of being MTB proactive and looking to the right people – I now feel they are after the buck.. and would rather we all rode the fireroads and no more.

soulrider – thats why we have all these world class facilities for free? Don’t forget how much we have – the glass is more than half full. compare what wehave to what they have down south or Norn Ireland?

I completely agree. The stanes are (imo) the best trail centres in the UK and it only cost a couple of quid for parking. I think that is a bargain.

I now feel they are after the buck..

They are doing a very good job of it then.

“The current forecast for the new Glentress Peel Project stands at £8.5 million.” Ref

8.5 million. You’d have to sell a lot of cakes, bikes and parking to pay that off. All parking fees go back into the trails too. I don’t think the FC is in it for the money!

The hub has been part of Glentress trails from very early on.. Emma and Tracey did so much to promote the trails yet they have now been pushed aside

here in the North the FC is trying to close trails
I am not asking for them for free.. I have no issues with parking – but it seems the FC mindset and attitude toward biking has drastically changed in the last few years.

>”The current forecast for the new Glentress Peel Project stands at £8.5 million.” <

Aye – current in Jan 2011…

Doubt it will be capped at that, and besides, there will be in – kind contributions from other budgets which wont show in any final figure. Add in the 1000 acres they bought to the East of the Peel to aid access or was that part of the emerging forest exemplar strategy that led on to the additional 300a purchase announced earlier this week?

Could’ve got a Chairlift for that 😉

Soulrider – I agree its worked out very harshly on Emma and Tracey.

The peel centre is not just a new hub – its to attract more people to the site – birdwatchers, walkers, bus tours etc etc.